Andros Townsend and Wayne Rooney were among those to issue their support for Hodgson on Twitter soon afterwards.

And now the England manager is keen to draw a line under the affair as he prepares the squad for next year's World Cup.

"It's very simple. It's difficult to regret innocent remarks. It was an innocent remark and it was totally misconstrued," he explained after announcing his England squad for friendlies against Chile and Germany.

"I've apologised for them. As far as I'm concerned, the episode is finished. I don't wish to think about it anymore. The achievement of the players getting us to the World Cup shouldn't be tarnished any more.

When asked about whether a leak could cause problems in the dressing room, he denied this to be the case and insisted he's "rarely worked with a side with a better atmosphere".

He added: "I trust the players implicitly. The atmosphere in the dressing room and training is outstanding."